SEATTLE — Bosnia and Herzegovina eliminated Qatar and boosted its chances of advancing at the World Cup with a 3-1 victory in a Group B match on Wednesday.
With the victory, the third-place finishing Bosnia and Herzegovina is more than likely to advance to the Round of 32 in the expanded field. The eight best third-place finishers across the 12 groups advance.
Should Bosnia and Herzegovina advance to the knockout round, it would mark the first time in national team history at the World Cup. Bosnia and Herzegovina has played in only one other World Cup — 2014 in Brazil.
Kerim Alajbegovic scored in the 29th minute to give Bosnia and Herzegovina a lead it would never relinquish. The 18-year-old Alajbegovic became the eighth-youngest scorer in World Cup history when he powered a shot past Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada at the near post from 20 yards away.
Bosnia and Herzegovina tacked on a second goal in the 34th minute when Sead Kolasinac launched a cross to the back post. A volley to the middle by Edin Dzeko deflected off Qatar’s Sultan Al-Brake for an own goal.
Hassan Al Haydos kept Qatar, which did not win a game in the tournament, competitive with a goal in the 42nd minute. But in the second half, Bosnia and Herzegovina once again went up by two goals when Ermin Mahmic, who scored in a 4-1 loss to Switzerland, tallied another in the 80th minute.
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